Louisiana earned major wins in film, jazz and roots categories despite losses in other areas at the 2023 Grammy Awards. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival made most of the headlines for their two mentions in Best Music Film and Best Regional Roots Music Album.

In the Best Music Film category, Jazz Fest: a New Orleans Story won which was shot at the 50th-anniversary fest in 2019. The 2021 film featured interviews and performances by famous national acts and locals alike in an attempt to capture the cultural phenomenon that is Jazz Fest.

In addition, Jazz Fest received a mention in the Best Regional Roots Music Album which was awarded to the South Carolina group Ranky Tanky (their second Grammy in four years) and their album, Live at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Outside of the Jazz Fest honors, artists Aaron Neville and Dirty Dozen Brass Band won Best American Roots Performance for their feature in the 2022 documentary Take Me to the River New Orleans.

Terence Blanchard earned his seventh Grammy working in Fire Shut Up In My Bones which won Best Opera Recording. The adaptation of Charles M. Blow’s memoir, it was the first opera by a Black composer in the 138-year history of New York’s Metropolitan Opera.

Nicholas Payton, alongside four other featured artists, won his second Grammy nearly 25 years after receiving his first in 1997. The honor was for Best Jazz Instrumental Album awarded to Payton and Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh and Matthew Stevens for their album New Standards Vol. 1.

What some called the only responsibility of the 65th Grammy Awards, Beyoncé made history by winning the most awards in a single Grammy ceremony. By doing so, she shared some love with New Orleans artists Big Freedia and Adam Pigott as their song “Explode” was sampled on the track “Break My Soul,” which won Best Dance/Electronic Recording.

Unfortunately, Louisiana did not win in categories for genres like R&B, alternative, rap, gospel, blues and Americana. However, several artists were nominated. See the list below for the rest of the nominees and winners:

 

2023 Grammy Awards: Louisiana Nominees And Categories

Song of the Year

• “Abcdefu,” Sara Davis, Gayle and Dave Pittenger, songwriters (Gayle)
• “About Damn Time,” Melissa “Lizzo” Jefferson, Eric Frederic, Blake Slatkin and Theron Makiel Thomas, songwriters (Lizzo)
• “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film),” Liz Rose and Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
• “As It Was,” Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon and Harry Styles, songwriters (Harry Styles)
• “Bad Habit,” Matthew Castellanos, Brittany Fousheé, Diana Gordon, John Carroll Kirby & Steve Lacy, songwriters (Steve Lacy)
• “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé, S. Carter, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant and Christopher A. Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé, Sampled by Big Freedia and Adam Pigott)
• “Easy on Me,” Adele Adkins and Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)
• “God Did,” Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts and Nicholas Warwar, songwriters (DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend and Fridayy)
• “The Heart Part 5,” Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar and Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
• Winner* “Just Like That,” Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)

 

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

• Winner* “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé and Sampled by Big Freedia and Adam Pigott
• “Rosewood,” Bonobo
• “Don’t Forget My Love,” Diplo and Miguel
• “I’m Good (Blue),” David Guetta and Bebe Rexha
• “Intimidated,” Kaytranada featuring H.E.R.
• “On My Knees,” Rüfüs du Sol

 

Best Alternative Music Album

• “We,” Arcade Fire
• “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You,” Big Thief
• “Fossora,” Björk
• Winner* “Wet Leg,” Wet Leg
• “Cool It Down,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs

 

Best R&B Song

• Winner* “Cuff It,” Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Beyoncé, Mary Christine Brockert, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Morten Ristorp, Nile Rodgers and Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)
• “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Mary J. Blige, David Brown, Dernst Emile II, Gabriella Wilson and Tiara Thomas, songwriters (Mary J. Blige)
• “Hrs & Hrs,” Hamadi Aaabi, Dylan Graham, Priscilla Renea, Thaddis “Kuk” Harrell, Brandon John-Baptiste, Isaac Wriston and Justin Nathaniel Zim, songwriters (Muni Long)
• “Hurt Me So Good,” Akeel Henry, Michael Holmes, Luca Mauti, Jazmine Sullivan and Elliott Trent, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)
• “Please Don’t Walk Away,” PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton)

 

Best Progressive R&B Album

• “Operation Funk,” Cory Henry
• Winner* “Gemini Rights,” Steve Lacy
• “Drones,” Terrace Martin
• “Starfruit,” Moonchild
• “Red Balloon,” Tank and the Bangas

 

Best R&B Album

• “Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe),” Mary J. Blige
• “Breezy (Deluxe),” Chris Brown
• Winner* “Black Radio III,” Robert Glasper
• “Candydrip,” Lucky Daye
• “Watch the Sun,” PJ Morton

 

Best Rap Performance

• “God Did,” DJ Khaled featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend and Fridayy
• “Vegas,” Doja Cat
• “Pushin P,” Gunna and Future featuring Young Thug
• “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” Hitkidd and Glorilla
• Winner* “The Heart Part 5,” Kendrick Lamar

 

Best Melodic Rap Performance

• “Beautiful,” DJ Khaled featuring Future and SZA
• Winner* “Wait for U,” Future featuring Drake and Tems
• “First Class,” Jack Harlow
• “Die Hard,” Kendrick Lamar featuring Blxst and Amanda Reifer
• “Big Energy (Live),” Latto

 

Best Rap Song

• “Churchill Downs,” Ace G, BEDRM, Matthew Samuels, Tahrence Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Jack Harlow and Jose Velazquez, songwriters (Jack Harlow featuring Drake)
• “God Did,” Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts and Nicholas Warwar, songwriters (DJ Khaled featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend and Fridayy)
• Winner* “The Heart Part 5,” Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar and Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
• “Pushin P,” Lucas Depante, Nayvadius Wilburn, Sergio Kitchens, Wesley Tyler Glass and Jeffery Lamar Williams, songwriters (Gunna and Future featuring Young Thug)
• “Wait for U,” Tejiri Akpoghene, Floyd E. Bentley III, Jacob Canady, Isaac De Boni, Aubrey Graham, Israel Ayomide Fowobaje, Nayvadius Wilburn, Michael Mule, Oluwatoroti Oke and Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Future featuring Drake and Tems)

 

Best Rap Album

• “God Did,” DJ Khaled
• “I Never Liked You,” Future
• “Come Home the Kids Miss You,” Jack Harlow
• Winner* “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Kendrick Lamar
• “It’s Almost Dry,” Pusha T

 

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

• Winner* “New Standards Vol. 1,” Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton and Matthew Stevens
• “Live in Italy,” Peter Erskine Trio
• “LongGone,” Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride and Brian Blade
• “Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival,” Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese and Esperanza Spalding
• “Parallel Motion,” Yellowjackets

 

Best Gospel Performance/Song

• “Positive,” Erica Campbell; Erica Campbell, Warryn Campbell and Juan Winans, songwriters
• “When I Pray,” Doe; Dominique Jones & Dewitt Jones, songwriters
• Winner* “Kingdom,” Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, Jonathan Jay, Chandler Moore & Jacob Poole, songwriters
• “The Better Benediction,” PJ Morton featuring Zacardi Cortez, Gene Moore, Samoht, Tim Rogers and Darrel Walls; PJ Morton, songwriter
• “Get Up,” Tye Tribbett; Brandon Jones, Christopher Michael Stevens, Thaddaeus Tribbett and Tye Tribbett, songwriters

 

Best American Roots Performance

• “Someday It’ll All Make Sense (Bluegrass Version),” Bill Anderson featuring Dolly Parton
• “Life According to Raechel,” Madison Cunningham
• “Oh Betty,” Fantastic Negrito
• Winner* “Stompin’ Ground,” Aaron Neville with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band
• “Prodigal Daughter,” Aoife O’Donovan and Allison Russell

 

Best Americana Album

• Winner* “In These Silent Days,” Brandi Carlile
• “Things Happen That Way,” Dr. John
• “Good to Be … ,” Keb’ Mo’
• “Raise the Roof,” Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
• “Just Like That…,” Bonnie Raitt

 

Best Regional Roots Music Album

• “Full Circle,” Sean Ardoin and Kreole Rock and Soul featuring LSU Golden Band from Tigerland
• “Natalie Noelani,” Natalie Ai Kamauu
• “Halau Hula Keali’i O Nalani — Live at the Getty Center,” Halau Hula Keali’i O Nalani
• “Lucky Man,” Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas
• Winner* “Live at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival,” Ranky Tanky (Technically, a South Carolina Band)

 

Best Traditional Blues Album

• “Heavy Load Blues,” Gov’t Mule
• “The Blues Don’t Lie,” Buddy Guy
• Winner* “Get On Board,” Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder
• “The Sun Is Shining Down,” John Mayall
• “Mississippi Son,” Charlie Musselwhite

 

Best Historical Album

• “Against the Odds: 1974-1982,” Tommy Manzi, Steve Rosenthal and Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Tom Camuso, restoration engineer (Blondie)
• “The Goldberg Variations — The Complete Unreleased 1981 Studio Sessions,” Robert Russ, compilation producer; Martin Kistner, mastering engineer (Glenn Gould)
• “Life’s Work: A Retrospective,” Scott Billington, Ted Olsen, Mason Williams and Paul Blakemore, the producers and engineers are nominated for the North Carolina musician Doc Watson compilation album.
• “To Whom It May Concern…,” Jonathan Sklute, compilation producer; Kevin Marques Moo, mastering engineer (Freestyle Fellowship)
• Winner* “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition),” Cheryl Pawelski and Jeff Tweedy, compilation producers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Wilco)

 

Best Opera Recording

• “Aucoin: Eurydice,” Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Barry Banks, Nathan Berg, Joshua Hopkins, Erin Morley and Jakub Józef Orliński; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
• Winner* “Blanchard: Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Angel Blue, Will Liverman, Latonia Moore and Walter Russell III; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
• “Davis: X — The Life and Times of Malcolm X,” Gil Rose, conductor; Ronnita Miller, Whitney Morrison, Victor Robertson and Davóne Tines; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)

 

Best Music Film

• “Adele One Night Only,” Adele; Paul Dugdale, video director; Raj Kapoor and Ben Winston, video producers
• “Our World,” Justin Bieber; Michael D. Ratner, video director; Kfir Goldberg, Andy Mininger and Scott Ratner, video producers
• “Billie Eilish Live at the O2,” Billie Eilish; Sam Wrench, video director; Michelle An, Tom Colbourne, Chelsea Dodson and Billie Eilish, video producers
• “Motomami (Rosalía TikTok Live Performance),” Rosalía; Ferrán Echegaray, Rosalía Vila Tobella and Stillz, video directors
• Winner* “Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story,” Various Artists; Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern, video directors; Frank Marshall, Sean Stuart and Ryan Suffern, video producers
• “A Band A Brotherhood A Barn,” Neil Young and Crazy Horse; Dhlovelife, video director; Gary Ward, video producer

 

For more awards and information on the 2023 Grammy Awards, visit the Grammy’s wesbite.